Meta Cuts Thousands of Jobs as It Shifts Focus to Artificial Intelligence
In a major workforce shake-up, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Meta Platforms, is cutting thousands of jobs as it restructures around artificial intelligence priorities.
The company announced plans to lay off about 10 per cent of its global workforce, affecting roughly 8,000 employees, while also eliminating around 6,000 unfilled positions as part of a wider internal overhaul.
Meta disclosed the decision in an internal memo circulated on Thursday, saying the move reflects its growing focus on integrating artificial intelligence across its products and operations.
Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has said AI will play a central role in the future of work in the tech industry, including software development, as more tasks become automated through advanced tools and coding systems.
“This is not an easy trade-off”, Meta’s Chief People Officer, Janelle Gale, said in the memo, adding that the restructuring would affect employees who have made significant contributions to the company.
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has been expanding its investment in artificial intelligence alongside its metaverse ambitions. The company has rolled out generative AI tools for content creation, improved recommendation systems, and AI assistants embedded in platforms such as WhatsApp.
The tech giant has carried out several rounds of job cuts in recent years, including major layoffs in 2022 and 2023 during what Zuckerberg described as a “year of efficiency”, followed by additional reductions in 2025 as restructuring efforts continued.
Despite the workforce reductions, Meta remains financially strong, reporting revenue of $200.97 billion in 2025 and projecting up to $56.5 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2026.
